"You are a talented bread maker."

So there is a story to this one. Yesterday I made a meal of love for the hubby. Slow cooked BBQ pork and made homemade rolls - Lion House Rolls. I followed it all up with cupcakes and frosting. The day sort of died though. He got a call he had to take right as we sat down for dinner and then a family he helps out called and needed his help so he entirely missed desert. I was sad. I made this meal for him and he was not there to indulge in it as well as tell me how wonderful I am and how yummy it all is. Finally when I had a moment with him I expressed my disappointment.

"People 4 and under don't sit down and say, 'Wow, those are the pretties rolls I have ever seen. These are better then Costco's. You are a talented bread maker.' They just don't and I really needed to hear that."

Stewart then placed his hands on my shoulders and looked me in the eyes and told me that my rolls were very beautiful, that they were light and fluffy, and yummy. That they were the best he had ever had. He said, "Emily, you are a talented bread maker."

I said "ok" and set to work to tidy the kitchen. Then the kids came running into the kitchen, "Mommy, Mommy! Your rolls are so BudaFUll! BudaFUllll! Mommy you are a talented roll maker!"

I couldn't help but laugh. I asked them if Daddy told them to say that and they said "YESSSS!" My husband responded, "See, four year olds do say that." and gave me a sweet kiss and grabbed himself another roll. Bless his heart. I needed to hear that. :)

I tried to capture this but I am not sure if I did...these are pillows! Very soft!

So these are my "BudaFUlll" rolls that I have been making for years. They are good soft rolls. Over the years I have added more and more sugar and played with it: adding more salt, fresh milk, using less yeast...blah blah. So do as you wish with them BUT remember, add as little flour as you can and don't mix much at all! The less kneading and mixing and the less flour the more pillowy they will be! They have never failed me. They are worth the effort.

Famous Lion House Dinner Rolls

2 cups warm water (110 to 115 degrees)
2/3 cup nonfat dry milk instant or non-instant
2 TB dry yeast (I used two fast rise yeast packets this time and they did fine - in the past they have been a little strong on the yeast taste so I liked that I couldn't taste the yeast so much this time)
1/3 cup sugar (I used 1/3 this time...next time I will do 1/2 if I want them sweeter)
2 tsp salt (my tsp were generous)
1/3 cup butter ( I melted mine)
1 egg
4 1/2 to 5 1/2 cups flour (or whatever smallest amount you use to get your dough to a point of manageability)

1.) In a large bowl of a standing mixer combine water and milk powder. Mix until milk dissolves. Add yeast, sugar, salt, butter, egg, and two cup flour mixing as you add each ingredient. Mix on low speed until all ingredients are wet and then mix on medium speed for two minutes.

2.) With mixer on low add flour half a cup at a time. Dough should be soft , not overly sticky but not dry at all! It is not necessary to add all the flour.

3.) Scrap dough off of the sides of the bowl and pour about one TB of vegetable oil all around the sides of the bowl. Turn dough over in bowl so it is covered with oil. Cover with plastic and allow to rise in a warm place until double in size.

*to speed up rising I fill sink with about 2 inches of hot water (or enough to come up 2/3 height of bowl and then I place the bowl with my dough in it and then let it rise.

4.) When dough has doubled sprinkle flour on clean counter and plop your dough out onto it. Don't knead it. Roll the dough out into a 18" by 8" rectangle. Cut it in half length wise and then cut two inch strips on both halves. Roll the dough up in little pinwheels and place them 2" apart on a greased cookie sheet. Place them so they are resting on their lose edge so they stay rolled up.

5.) Cover the rolls with plastic and let them double in size (1 to 1 1/2 hours). Bake at 375 for 10 - 20 minutes or until browned. Brush with melted butter while hot. Make 1 to 1 1/2 dozen rolls.

Nanaimo Bars

Canada and I hardly know each other but I do have fond feelings for her. My sister who I absolutely adore and wanted to be when I was a child served her mission there and she loved Canada, thus I loved Canada a little bit in her behalf. I like her cold country because she is our neighbor and the people there say "Eh?". I like her because the people there eat things like dill pickle and ketchup flavored potato chips, and of course those yummy Nanaimo bars. When I learned that Prince Edward Island wasn't in England but was in fact a part of our neighbor, little old Canada, I liked her even more.

Now with Canada hosting the Winter Olympics I thought I should teach my little family what I know about her and what I like about her. And honestly what better way then making them Nanaimo bars! I wished I had the real Birds Custard Mix but alas I had to improvise with the recommendations of my mother's Canadian friend. I showed the kids a map, gave them a cookie, and then we watched the Olympics via NBC.com. It was fun. Now I think they like Canada too.

If you want to celebrate Canadian Olympics with Nanaimo bars here is the recipe. Enjoy!

The ingredients:

Bottom Layer

1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup sugar
5 TB cocoa
1 egg beaten
1 1/4 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/2 cup finely chopped almonds
1 cup coconut

First crumble your graham crackers, chop (and I lightly roasted) almonds, and set them aside. Then beat your egg in a small bowl. Set that aside as well. Melt butter, sugar, and cocoa in a double broiler. When it is hot take a large spoon full of the hot cocoa mixture and quickly whisk it into your egg. Then repeat at least one other time. Then slowly pour your egg mixture into your sauce pan and quickly whisk it all together. Then watch the magic of the egg make you sauce into a thick syrup. At this point mix in your coconut and graham cracker crumbs. Press firmly into a 8x8 or a 9x9 pan and place in the refrigerator to harden.

Cream Layer

1/2 cup butter
4 TB cream
4 TB vanilla pudding powder (non instant)
2 tsp vanilla
2 cups powder sugar

Cream butter, vanilla, and pudding in large bowl. Alternate adding powder sugar and cream and beat until light. Spread over the bottom layer. and place in the refrigerator.

Chocolate Layer

4 oz. semi-sweet chocolate ( use a nice brand...I used three bars of Dove dark chocolate and it was so good!)
3 TB butter

Place butter and chocolate in a microwave safe bowl and heat in microwave at 30 second intervals mixing in between until it s is melted and smooth to pour over the cream layer. Pour over cream layer and shake pan and tap on counter to help the chocolate spread out nice and smooth. then cover and let harden in the Fridge until ready to eat.

When cutting boil water on the stove and put knife in the hot water before each cut to prevent the chocolate from cracking while you cut.

Crack Pie from Manhattan Hot Spot.

Ok, here is the pie people are talking about all over the place, Crack Pie. My mother, who loves me greatly, sent me the article from the LA times that gave the coveted recipe. I had to try it. It is all the rage, Anderson Cooper even raves about it. So I bought myself some cream and raided our food storage for powered milk and set to work.

For this baking adventure I decided I would go Pioneer Women style...honestly I am yet to LOVE a single one of her recipes and sometimes having to look at pictures of every move she makes drives me insane!!!! Seriously, I know how to stir! But that is beside the point... I was so into what I was doing and how lovely an experience I was having I couldn't help myself. I wanted to capture all of it. It was fun. However, I do have to say I one-upped her. I had the cutest littlest assistant you ever did see by my side. Love him.

Here we go.First you make the cookie dough for the cookie crust. It is a basic cookie with oats added for flavor and texture. I do love them oats. Instead of forming cookies you spread the dough into a 9 x 13 pan and bake. When done you remove the cookie from pan and let cool on a rack until completely cooled...I broke mine up to speed things up.

Then you crumble the cookie pieces even more. Benjie enjoyed this part immensely. Don't you love my old school standing mixer? I do.

Once you have a nice crumb add brown sugar, salt and butter until you get a crumb mixture that holds it shape when you press it together in your palm. Like so,

Divided your crumb into two and press it into two 10 inch pie pans to make a thin crust. It is a shallow pie so the edges do not need to be high at all. Now at this point you are thinking you could fill the dang pies with nothing more then whipped cream and it would be great, you have a cookie crumb crust people! YUM!

Now here comes the triple bypass.

In a large bowl mix together white sugar, brown sugar, salt, and powdered milk. My mixture looked like this:

Then pour in two sticks melted butter, heavy cream, vanilla, and count them

EIGHT egg yolks. Can I say decadent?!?!?!
Mix well but don't let it get fluffy. Benjie was a pro at this.

Pour your yellow custardy mixture on top of your prepared pie crusts. I don't own pie pans thus I used circular cake pans, they did just fine.

At this point you bake them one at a time starting them out at 35o for 20 minutes and then lower the temp to 325 and bake for another 15 minutes adding on 5 minutes if you are using a 9 inch pan. When you take them out of the oven they will seem under cooked. It is perfect that way! If you cook them too long the cookie and the filling combine into one and lose their charming attributes. Trust me! I know from pie number two. :(

Let your little beauties cool on the counter until they are room temperature and then chill in the fridge. Sprinkle with powdered sugar before you sever them. This pie presents like a lemon bar but warn your tasters this tastes very different. Buttery, creamy, sweet, salty, and while very rich you find yourself eating bite after bite. It does have a butterscotch taste to it but creamy all at the same time. If butterscotch is your thing then you will be a fan.

Enjoy! Heaven knows I did.

Crack Pie
from Momofuku Bakery & Milk Bar, Manhattan

Cookie for Crust

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1/3 cup light-brown sugar
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 large egg
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup old-fashioned oats
1/8 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt

1.) Heat oven to 375 degrees.
2.) sift flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in medium bowl. set aside
3.) in bowl of a standing mixer beat butter, brown sugar, and white sugar until ight and fluffy. Then add your room temp egg and mix until well incorporated.
4.) With mixer running add the flour mixture a little at a time until incorporated and then add your oats.
5.) Spread in a 9 x 13 and bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from pan and let cool on a rack.

Crust

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1 tablespoon light-brown sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt

1.) Break up your cookies into a bowl using hands or mixer to do the job until you get a even crumb mixture.
2.) then add you butter, sugar, and salt andm ix until when pressed it holds its shape.
3.) divide hte crumb evenly and then press into 10 inch pie pans. Set aside.

Filling

1 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup light-brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cups milk powder
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted
3/4 plus 2 TB cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
8 large egg yolks
Confectioners' sugar, for dusting

1.) Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees.
2.)In a large bowl, whisk together sugars, salt, and milk powder, breaking up any lumps.
3.) Whisk in butter, heavy cream, and vanilla until well combined. Whisk in yolks until just combined.
4.) Pour filling into prepared pie crusts. Transfer pies to oven and bake until filling is set, about 15 minutes. Then reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees and continue baking until top of pie is golden brown ( 10 minutes) you want this pie to wiggle like crazy when you move it.
5.) Remove from oven and let cool. Transfer to refrigerator and refrigerate until cool. Dust with confectioners' sugar just before serving.

* One recipe I found had you bake at 325 for 15 minutes and then lower the temp to 315 until top is golden brown but the filling is still wiggly. Next time I will try this on the pies and see if I get a better result, you don't to want to over bake these pies!

Elegant Eggnog Dessert

My mother knows I like to bake and make treats for people just as much as she does so she sent this one to me to try and to let her know how it turned out. I am saving this treasure to try next holiday season and it will be tried! To me it sounds like a glorious heart attack I am very much looking forward to having.I love it and I haven't even tried it yet. She found it here.

Ingredients:

1 can (13-1/2 ounces) Pirouette cookies

1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs

1/4 cup butter, melted

2 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, softened

2 cups cold eggnog

2 cups cold milk

2 packages (3.4 ounces each) instant vanilla pudding mix

1/2 teaspoon rum extract

1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 cup heavy whipping cream

Directions:

Cut each cookie into 2 2-1/2-in. sections; set aside. Crush remaining 1-inch pieces. In a small bowl, combine the cookie crumbs, cracker crumbs and butter; press onto the bottom of a greased 9-in. springform pan.

In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese until smooth. Beat in the eggnog, milk, pudding mixes, extract and nutmeg until smooth. Whip cream until stiff peaks form. Fold whipped cream into pudding mixture. Spoon over crust. Cover and refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight.

Just before serving, remove sides of pan. Arrange reserved cookies around dessert and press gently into sides. Refrigerate leftovers. Yield: 12 servings.

* Note: This recipe was tested with commercially prepared eggnog. Reduced-fat eggnog is not recommended.

Fondant

So I tried my hand at fondant. I didn't realize how dry it has to be to get it to to it highest degree of manageability. But I think I figured it out half way through a major cake project. Now that I know what I am doing I think I will have fun playing with it many more times to come!

This simple fondant recipe uses ingredients which are probably already in your pantry. It's softer than our standard fondant recipe with a very sweet taste that kids love.

Ingredients:

1 package (16oz) mini marshmallows (good quality brand)
2-5 TB water (substitute flavoring for a portion of the water it make sit so much yummier)
2 pounds sifted confectioners' sugar
1/2 cup solid vegetable shorting

Makes about 2 lbs.

Instructions:

To make marshmallow fondant, place marshmallows and 2 tablespoons of water in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave 30 seconds on high; stir until mixed well. Continue microwaving 30 seconds more; stir again. Continue until melted (about 2 1/2 minutes). If I am doing a lot of one color I like to add my coloring at this point. The color of the marshmallow will not be diminished much at all my the powdered sugar so it is a easy way to get even color without getting your hand all colored terribly by trying to fold it in later.

Place 3/4 of the confectioners' sugar on top of the melted marshmallow mixture. Fold sugar into marshmallow mixture. Place solid vegetable shortening in easily accessed bowl so you can reach into it with fingers as you are working. Grease hands and counter GENEROUSLY; turn marshmallow mixture onto counter. Start kneading like you would dough. Continue kneading, adding additional confectioners' sugar and re-greasing hands and counter so the fondant doesn't stick. If the marshmallow fondant is tearing easily, it is too dry; add water (about 1/2 tablespoon at a time) kneading until fondant forms a firm, smooth elastic ball that will stretch without tearing, about 8 minutes.

It's best to allow Marshmallow Fondant to sit, double-wrapped, overnight. Prepare the fondant for storing by coating with a thin layer of solid vegetable shortening, wrap in plastic wrap and then place in resealable bag. Squeeze out as much air as possible. Marshmallow Fondant will keep well in refrigerator for several weeks. If it gets to hard to work with you can always throw it int he microwave for a few seconds to make it softer...great when you have to roll out a large sheet!

When not working with fondant, make sure to keep it covered with plastic wrap or in a bag to prevent it from drying out. When ready to use, knead fondant until smooth. Roll out fondant 1/8 in. thick.

To color fondant: If you need to tint the entire batch of fondant, add a little icing color to the melted marshmallow mixture before adding confectioners' sugar. For smaller amounts of tinted fondant, add icing color to portions of fondant as needed.

For a small batch:

1 cup mini marshmallows packed

1 TB water

1 1/2 - 1 3/4 cups confectioners sugar

Make as listed above.

Best EVER Sugar Cookies

I did not like sugar cookies. They were sort of fun to decorate and no fun to eat. blah. In my book they were a total waste of sugar and flour. I did however make them for the kids because they loved them and really loved decorating them.However it was a chore for me. BUT THEN I tasted my girl friend's sugar cookies and I FELL in L-O-V-E. These are the best sugar cookies in the world. Seriously, I cant stop eating them. Here is the go-to recipe if you want yummy sugar cookies. Please try next time you want to make sugar cookies. YUM!

* if you are a sugar cookie artisan and you want them prettier then they taste this is not the recipe for you. Otherwise these are THE ONES!

Sugar Cookies

1 cup Butter

2 cups Sugar

1 tbsp Vanilla

Cream together in a very large bowl.

Then add:

2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp Salt

5 – 5 ½ flour - added a little at a time.

When mostly mixed add in

1 cup Sour Cream

mix well. If you are doing shapes wrap entire dough in plastic and refrigerate 1 hour. Roll out and cut out shapes. Bake at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes. If you want rounds roll dough into logs and then wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate one hour and then cut dough into slices and bake for Bake 8-10minutes at 350 degrees.

Spicey Spinach and Artichoke dip

My favorite party dip of all time. I found it on All Recipes. Sooooo good! Everyone loves it!

Ingredients

2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1 (4.5 ounce) can chopped green chilies,drained

1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1 (12 ounce) jar marinated artichoke hearts, drained and chopped

1/4 cup canned chopped jalapeno peppers, drained

1 (10 ounce) box frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained

Directions

1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

2.Mix together the cream cheese and mayonnaise in a bowl until smooth. Stir in the green chilies, Parmesan cheese, artichokes, peppers, and spinach. Spoon the mixture into a baking dish.

3.Bake in preheated oven until slightly browned, about 30 minutes.

Favorite Tarts

Filo Dough is my favorite way to make beautiful and super yummy tarts! Here is how I did it. I bought some frozen filo dough at the store. I thawed it following their directions. Then using lost of slightly damp paper towels to help keep the dough from drying out as it does very quickly. I used three sheets of filo dough at a time brushing butter in between each sheet. Then I cut the three layered sheets using cooking scissors to cut them into small rectangles. Then I gently pressed then into a small cupcake pan. I think I baked them at 400 degrees. I baked them until light golden brown about 5 minutes. I removed them immediately from the pan to cool on my counter then I continued working with three sheets at a time. You get a lot of the tarts from one package. These can be made a day ahead of time and still be great.

I filled them with two different types of filling:

The raspberry ones I filled them with layered vanilla pudding, homemade raspberry syrup, and then whipped cream.

The chocolate tarts had vanilla pudding, homemade chocolate ganache, and whipped cream.

Benjamin's Birthday Cake - Peanut Butter and Chocolate

Fudge Version

Adapted from recipes from this blog

One Bowl Chocolate Cupcakes
Adapted from Martha Stewart's CupcakesMakes 18 cupcakes

1 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
3/4 c. unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
1 1/2 c. sugar
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
3/4 tsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp. salt
2 eggs
3/4 c. buttermilk
3 tbsp. vegetable oil
1 tsp. vanilla extract
3/4 c. warm water

1 package of chocolate instant pudding mix

1. Preheat oven to 350. Line standard muffin tins with paper liners (Amy's note: I always use baking spray with flour instead). With an electric mixer on medium speed, combine dry ingredients. Reduce speed to low. Add eggs, buttermilk, vegetable oil, vanilla extract, and water; beat until smooth and combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary. then stir in the box of chocolate pudding mixes.
2. Divide batter evenly among 18 cups, filling each about 2/3 full. Bake, rotating tins halfway through, until a cake tester inserted in centers comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Transfer tins to wire racks to cool 10 minutes; turn out cupcakes onto rack and cool completely.Cupcakes can be stored overnight at room temperature, or frozen up to 3 months in an airtight container.

Peanut Butter Frosting
Adapted from The America's Test Kitchen Family Baking BookMakes 3 cups, enough for 24 cupcakes or the top of 1 sheet cake

1 stick unsalted butter, cut into chunks and softened
1 cup creamy peanut butter
2 tbsp heavy cream
2 tsp vanilla extract
pinch of salt
1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar

1. Beat the butter, peanut butter, cream, vanilla, and salt together in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until smooth, 1-2 minutes.
2. Reduce the mixer speed to medium-low, slowly add the confectioners' sugar, and beat until incorporated and smooth, 4-6 minutes. Increase the mixer speed and beat until the frosting is light and fluffy, 5-10 minutes.

Fluffy Version

from this really cute blog

One Bowl Chocolate Cupcakes

Adapted from Martha Stewart's CupcakesMakes 18 cupcakes

1 1/2 c. all-purpose flour

3/4 c. unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder

1 1/2 c. sugar

1 1/2 tsp. baking soda

3/4 tsp. baking powder

3/4 tsp. salt

2 eggs

3/4 c. buttermilk

3 tbsp. vegetable oil

1 tsp. vanilla extract

3/4 c. warm water

1. Preheat oven to 350. Line standard muffin tins with paper liners (Amy's note: I always use baking spray with flour instead). With an electric mixer on medium speed, combine dry ingredients. Reduce speed to low. Add eggs, buttermilk, vegetable oil, vanilla extract, and water; beat until smooth and combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary.

2. Divide batter evenly among 18 cups, filling each about 2/3 full. Bake, rotating tins halfway through, until a cake tester inserted in centers comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Transfer tins to wire racks to cool 10 minutes; turn out cupcakes onto rack and cool completely.Cupcakes can be stored overnight at room temperature, or frozen up to 3 months in an airtight container.

Peanut Butter Frosting

Adapted from The America's Test Kitchen Family Baking BookMakes 3 cups, enough for 24 cupcakes or the top of 1 sheet cake

2 sticks unsalted butter, cut into chunks and softened

1 cup creamy peanut butter

2 tbsp heavy cream

2 tsp vanilla extract

pinch of salt

1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar

1. Beat the butter, peanut butter, cream, vanilla, and salt together in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until smooth, 1-2 minutes.

2. Reduce the mixer speed to medium-low, slowly add the confectioners' sugar, and beat until incorporated and smooth, 4-6 minutes. Increase the mixer speed and beat until the frosting is light and fluffy, 5-10 minutes.

Tarts

" OOOOO, Fancy!" were the words out of Bridger's mouth when he saw these babies lined up in the Refrigerator. My girlfriend decided that I should give catering desserts a try. So I thought I would just that for my friend's birthday party. Since they are close friends I experimented a little bit. I wanted to find out what was the best crust for my mini tarts. I tried sugar cookie, sugared pie crust, and puff pastry dough. The results, to my complete surprise, was that we liked the pie crust the best. Cookie was ok but I thought it'd be better with an apple filling, and puff pastry didn't get to puff enough to reach its potential in that form so we all thought they were best in their fully puffy state as tartlets. - I loved those :O) I made lemon cream filling (vanilla pudding, lemon curd, and whipped cream) and creamy chocolate filling ( chocolate fudge, vanilla pudding, and chocolate mouse) for my experimental mini tarts. Oh, the fancy goodness!

Lemon Cream Tarts

Chocolate Mouse Tarts

Tartlets

Halloween Monster Pancakes

On Halloween morning I thought I would start our day off with a spooky grouse monster breakfast. The kids thought it was great but that snot buttermilk syrup was bit too real in consistency for me to really enjoy it. It was thick and gooey and I really did have a hard time eating it. But he kids thought it was great fun!

"Monster Snot"
Green Buttermilk Syrup

"Monster Head"
Our died Orange German Pancake

The monster combo! Yum!

Halloween Feast

This year I thought we should start doing a tradition of a spooky Halloween dinner. The kids thought it was really fun and helped me make dinner every step of the way. Next year I think I will make orange mashed potatoes and monster brains (soupy pot roast). We'll see, it is over a year away. ;)

Mummy Dogs

Witches Fingers

Worms in Dirt

Chili

1 TB oil
1 large onion
1 clove garlic chopped
3 pieces bacon cooked and cut into big chunks to easily be removed later
1 lb. ground turkey
2 tsp Beef bullion
2 TB Chile powder
1 tsp garlic pepper
1/2 tsp Oregano
1 can kidney beans
1 can beef consume
1 cap petite diced tomatoes
1 small can tomatoes sauce
1 can of Rotal mild lime and cilantro diced tomatoes

I totally made this up and loved it. Who knew cleaning out he pantry could be this much fun. In a large soup pan saute onion in oil until transparent. Add bacon and garlic. cook until aromatic. Push onion to side of pan and add the Turkey cook until browned through. Seasoning with beef bullion, chili powder. Cook for 1 or 2 minutes letting flavors meld. Remove bacon pieces. Add all the canned goods. Add garlic pepper and Oregano. Bring to a simmer and then cover and continue to simmer for 45 + minutes. Adjust flavors to your liking. Serve warm with cheese and a side of chips, rolls, crackers or corn bread.

* I also added a few dashes of Tabasco sauce and Louisiana seasoning salt.
* the Rotal tomatoes are spicy if your family is spice sensitive I would just buy a good brand of Mexican seasoned tomatoes like green chilies and garlic tomatoes or something like that.

Bread Pudding!

I found this on AllRecipes.com the commenters gave a lot of good suggests: use half white chips, use half and half instead of milk, use less sugar, add raisins, use raisin bread and cinnamon chips, use really nice french bread,...all sorts of things. So follow your heart if you don't like butterscotch then use something else. I used this recipes because I had a bunch of old bread to use up and Stew told me he did not like bread pudding. I thought this one could win him over. I am not sure if it did. Next time I think I will use thicker bread, add a few dashes of cinnamon, and let it sit for an hour before serving. I melted the leftover butterscotch chips and drizzled it on top. I think it could be a good breakfast for Christmas morning or something.

*I love the thigh comment. I think after making this one a few times we'll know exactly what she means by a "well endowed thigh".

Ingredients:

1 (10.75 ounce) loaf day-old bread, torn into

small pieces

4 cups milk

2 cups brown sugar

1/2 cup butter, melted

3 eggs, beaten

2 tsp. Vanilla extract

1 cup butterscotch chips

Directions:

1.) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Butter a 9x13 inch baking dish.

2.) In a large bowl, combine bread, milk, sugar, butter, eggs, vanilla and butterscotch chips; mixture should be the consistency of oatmeal. pour into prepared pan.

3.)Bake in preheated oven 1 hour, until nearly set. (It should have a "thigh wiggle" or wiggle as much as a well endowed thigh.) Serve warm or cold.

Caramel Popcorn

Since I am in the middle of a caramel/butterscotch obsession I thought I would try my hand at making my own caramel popcorn. The entire family got into it and it was clear that this would be a family favorite for years to come. I think we will give big bags of this away at Christmas time. Its pretty, easy, festive, and very yummy.

Ingredients:
1 cup butter
2 cups brown sugar
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp vanilla
6-8 quarts popped popcorn

Directions:
1.) Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Pop pop corn. Pour Popcorn in a very large bowl (we used three large bowls) that has been sprayed with Pam or like spray. Try to keep popcorn warm. (ex. keep next to stove)

2.) In a med saucepan over med heat and melt butter. Once butter is melted pour in brown sugar, corn syrup, and slat. Stirring constantly bring mixture to a full boil. Boil with out stirring for 4 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in baking soda and vanilla. Pour a thin layer over popcorn stirring to coat. Place popcorn in a very large bowl.

3.) Spray two cookie sheets with Pam and spread pop corn on the baking sheet. Place in over for 15 minutes for softer caramel or 30-60 min turning half way through for crunchy caramel.

*if you like it really soft skip baking all together.

Hershery's Mint Dessert

I saw this on a bag of Hershey's chips and it made me think of my sister-in-law Kirsten who loves mint and chocolate combos and thought I would try this recipe to see if it was worthy to pass on to her. It is. Stew and I really liked it. My kids weren't big fans...they are not mint lovers even though the mint in these is not over powering. I think it won me over with all the creamy accents the butter added. Some chocolate and mint treats are so harsh with super dark chocolate and really intense mint but these were creamy, refreshing, and super satisfying. I think these would be great to bring to a Christmas party because they are pretty, yummy, can feed a lot of people with one pan, and do well being cooked ahead of time. I hope you enjoy!

* they actually taste better a day in the fridge. We loved it served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream...tasted like the best mint chip ice cream you've ever had.

Brownie Base:
1 cup flour
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter, softened
4 eggs
1 1/2 cup Hershey Syrup

Mix all together and bake in a 9x13 pan at 350 degrees for 25- 30 minutes. set aside.

Mint Cream Center:
2 cups powder sugar
1/2 cup butter softened
2 TB green creme de menthe (or 1 TB water plus 1/2 - 3/4 tsp mint extract and 4 drops green food coloring)

Mix together with a mixer until smooth and spread over completely cooled brownie base

Chocolate Glaze:
6 TB butter
1 cup Hershey semi sweet chocolate chips

melt butter and chocolate in a small pan over very low heat. Remove from heat and stir until smooth. Let it cool slightly and then pour on top of the mint layer. Cover dessert and refrigerate at least one hour before serving.

Pecan Pie Cookies

We had our ward party the other night and I was asked to bring desserts. So I made these to play off the slight hints of autumn in the air along with the peanut butter bars I knew would be hits (recipe below). I really liked these pretty cookies but I didn't get any rave reviews about them. But I think they are a great fall cookie. I couldn't figure out why people weren't that into them and then I realized that after you had eaten a super rich peanut butter bar these seemed lacking in sweetness. Plus at our little gathering they were mostly kids and you know kids...obvious nuts are scary. And women are so annoying...diets! I think next time I make them I will add a little butter to the filling mixture just to amp the butterscotch flavor. I'm a fan.

Pecan Pie Cookies

Adapted from Land O' Lakes Butter

Ingredients

Cookie Ingredients:

1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
3/4 butter, softened
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla *I did a TB
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder

Filling Ingredients:

1 cup chopped pecans
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/4 cup whipping cream
1 teaspoon vanilla


Directions
Heat oven to 350°F. Combine all cookie ingredients except flour and baking powder in large bowl.Beat at medium speed until creamy.Reduce speed to low; add flour and baking powder. Beat until well mixed.Shape dough into 1 1/4-inch balls. Place 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheets.Make indentation in each cookie with thumb; rotate thumb to hollow out slightly.Combine all filling ingredients n small bowl; fill each cookie with 1 rounded teaspoon filling.Bake for 8 to 12 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool 1 minute; remove from cookie sheets.

Recipe Tip
These cookies can be made ahead and stored in the freezer up to 3 months. Place cookies in containers with tight-fitting lids, separating layers with waxed paper.

Peanut Butter Bars

This is a crowd pleaser every time. One pan feeds a lot of people so it is a really good recipe to have on hand for parties and stuff. Really yum!

Peanut Butter Bars

2 cups chunky style peanut butter
2 cups powder sugar
2 cups crushed graham crackers
1 stick + 1 Tablespoon melted butter
12 oz. semi sweet chocolate chips

Melt butter and mix with the first three ingredients.
Spread mixture into 13×9 pan.
Melt chocolate chips and spread on top.
Refrigerate for exactly 1/2 hour and cut into small sized bars (they are rich).
Keep refrigerated until you are ready to enjoy!

Autumn Treasure: Banna Cake with Caramel Frosting

This cake killed me! I eat so much of it and loved every single bite a little too much. I think I gained three pounds in the days of cake gorging. But it was worth it. The super moist banana/cinnamon cake with the rich butterscotchy frosting was a match made in heaven!

Banana Cake/Bread

1 cup oil

3 eggs

2 1/2 cups sugar

2 cups mashed bananas or finely shredded zucchini

(bananas best when they are yellow and brown spotted on the peels)

1/4 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. salt

3 tsp. cinnamon (I always wimp out and just do 2 tsp.)

1 tsp. baking soda

3 cups flour

Nuts (optional)

Directions

Mix all ingredients together. Blend well. Pour into greased and floured bread pans.

For Bread:

Large loaf pans: Bake 350 degrees for 45 minutes to 1 hour

Mini loaves (Kirsten's fav): Bake at 300-305 degrees for 50 minutes or so.

For Cake:

* What I did when I made the cake was make a doesn't cupcakes and then poured the rest in a greased bunt pan and cooked at 315 degrees until knife came out clean

Caramel Frosting

1/4 cup Butter (salted)

1/2 cup Brown Sugar

2TB Milk

3/4 cup Powdered Sugar

In a medium sauce pan melt butter. Stir in brown sugar. Bring to a full boil. cook 2 minutes stirring constantly. Pour in milk and stir until full boil is resumed. Remove from heat and cool slightly. Add powdered sugar and beat until smooth. double recipe for a 9x13 pan.

*for my bunt cake I didn't cool sugar mixture at all and then I added enough milk to be just slightly runny and poured it over bunt letting it drip down nicely. Then I frosted the cupcakes with the rest.

Pavlova

Pavlova is another one of my childhood favorite and we decided this year that it is going to be our tradition to have it every Mother's day. So good! Pavlova is a meringue cake with a light, delicate, crisp crust and a soft sweet marshmallow center that is produced by folding a little vinegar and cornstarch (cornflour) into stiffly beaten egg whites and sugar. This dessert is served with softly whipped cream and fresh fruit. There is a long standing debate about whether New Zealand or Australia invented this dessert, which has yet to be resolved. What we do know is that the name, Pavlova, was chosen in honor of the Russian ballerina, Anna Pavlova, who toured both New Zealand and Australia in 1926 And it is so good! Its like eating a cloud with whipped cream and fresh fruit on top. Yummy yummy yummy!

Meringue Cake:

4 large (120 grams) egg whites

1 cup (200 grams) superfine (castor) sugar

1 teaspoon white vinegar

1/2 tablespoon cornstarch (corn flour)

Topping:

1 cup (240 ml) heavy whipping cream - when I am trying to be healthy I just use lite whipped cream from a tub.

1 1/2 tablespoons (20 grams) granulated white sugar

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Fresh fruit - (tart it good because it sets off the super sweet cake) kiwi, strawberries, bananas, raspberries, blackberries, passion fruit, peaches, pineapple, or other fruit of your choice

Cooking Directions:

Preheat oven to 250 degrees F (130 degrees C) and place rack in center of oven. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and draw a 7 inch (18 cm) circle on the paper.

In the bowl of your electric mixer, with the whisk attachment, beat the egg whites on medium-high speed until they hold soft peaks. Start adding the sugar, a tablespoon at a time, and continue to beat until the meringue holds very stiff peaks. (Test to see if the sugar is fully dissolved by rubbing a little of the meringue between your thumb and index finger. The meringue should feel smooth, not gritty. If it feels gritty the sugar has not fully dissolved so keep beating until it feels smooth between your fingers). Sprinkle the vinegar and cornstarch over the top of the meringue and, with a rubber spatula, fold in.

Gently spread the meringue inside the circle drawn on the parchment paper, smoothing the edges, making sure the edges of the meringue are slightly higher than the center. (You want a slight well in the center of the meringue to place the whipped cream and fruit.)

Bake for 1 hour 15 minutes or until the outside is dry and takes on a very pale cream color. Turn the oven off, leave the door slightly ajar, and let the meringue cool completely in the oven. (The outside of the meringue will feel firm to the touch, if gently pressed, but as it cools you will get a little cracking and you will see that the inside is soft and marshmallowy.)

The cooled meringue can be made and stored in a cool dry place, in an airtight container, for a few days.

Just before serving gently place the meringue onto a serving plate. Whip the cream in your electric mixer, with the whisk attachment, until soft peaks form. Sweeten with the sugar and vanilla and then mound the softly whipped cream into the center of the meringue. Arrange the fruit randomly, or in a decorative pattern, on top of the cream. Serve immediately as this dessert does not hold for more than a few hours.

Serves 6 to 8.